Would You "cross The Pond" For Your Vocation?

[HisAlone]

In each country, on each continent there are so many wonderful religious communities...and yet, it seems I am always attracted to the ones that are the furthest away from my home.  This can be frustrating because there are so many reasons for this desire NOT to be God's voice calling me away from my family and home.  Here are some of the things I struggle with:

 

"Is my desire to go "far away" really...

 

a) a selfish desire to experience something different and exciting?

b) a selfish desire because I would be making family visits a hardship on my loved ones?

c) a "grass is greener on the other side" kind of thinking?

 

I'd love to hear from those who have made this decision as well as from those who wouldn't dream of leaving their homeland.

 

(This is supposed to be a poll, so I hope I posted it correctly!)

[cmaD2006]

That's a funny question :). 

 

I entered in Argentina and spent a year.  I also spent 4 months in Mexico.  And I am from the United States (born and raised, but my parents were Puerto Rican hence I knew the language).

 

I *hope* that if (and that's a big if) there is another community and I felt a draw to enter in another country that I would be open to it.  But considering what my last experience was, that is a big if.

 

I answered "yes" because I've already done it :).

[Kateri89]

If I truly felt called to a community in another country then I think I would go but I'm sure I'd have the same questions you have. I spoke with a vocations director of an order in Rwanda a few years ago but that never really panned out. I also discerned with the SSVM sisters but didn't feel called to a missionary order. I have a feeling I'll be staying in the U.S. unless whichever order I enter opens a convent somewhere else.

[cmaD2006]

That's a funny question :).

 

BTW I think I need to clarify ... when I said "funny question" I really mean considering my circumstance it is kind of funny that you're asking.  Funny more like interesting instead of ha-ha.

 

:)

[OnlySunshine]

The last community I applied to was based in Europe.  I would have had to go there for formation if I was accepted.  The Sisters of St. Rita have a German Motherhouse and like to send the 2nd year novices to Germany to experience life in the Motherhouse.  I would definitely consider a community out of the USA if I felt called there.

[PadrePioOfPietrelcino]

While my heart is very firmly home, I must admit that the thought has crossed my mind that if my Bishop says "no" to my application, I may look at applying in Ireland, they so very much need Priests.

[nikita92]

Don't like to put limitations on these things...yet visiting communities across the pond can be expensive. But if something keeps pestering..at you..I would be giving it some real consideration to check it out at least once in my life.

[BarbTherese]

If one is accepted by a community overseas, do they always want an aspirancy period and then leave for a while and return to begin postulancy - or do some accept a person immediately into postulancy if they have travelled such a long way as overseas? 

[maximillion]

Okay, as you probably all know by now it was a long time ago. And I only went across the Channel, from England to France.

 

My sister already travelled to France for family holidays so she said visits there were not an issue for her. My brother said he would be unlikely to visit even if I were in England,and my Mum was already past visiting me anyplace - she was too immobile. My Dad had already passed. So I suppose family considerations were not that strong for me. In the event my sister was the only one who ever came to visit me and attend ceremonies.

 

Having said that, would I have gone to the USA? Maybe. I would have had to have been very very convinced of God's wanting me to do that. However, I had visited five communities in England and though a few ( esp Benedictines) were very attractive to me, I already had a strong connection to the Sacred Heart and heard about the community in France at a Vocations Conference.

I think communities differ, but I visited the community in France once, for seven days. I didn't get to stay in the Enclosure but in the guest house and ate my meals alone. I didn't get to go to Rec, and I joined the sisters in prayer on the public side of the Grille. I wrote to them for three months before the visit and made my formal application in person at the end of my stay, then went back home for five weeks.

Once I entered the Postualncy began immediately and there was no aspiracy stage.

 

In answer to your question BarbaraT, I think it varies from community to community. If entering in a different country I would think it reasonable to make a visit ( live-in or otherwise) first, but it seems a bit excessive to expect aspirancy then to send you home again to another country only to return for the Postulancy.....that's not to say there may be communities who do expect that.

On the other hand there are communities who are happy to get to know someone by mail/email and to have them enter without having had either a visit or a live in first.

[petitpèlerin]

I had the opportunity to learn French as a small child (in the US) and always wanted to live in France for a while someday. Well, I mostly lost the language and forgot the dream, but God gave them back to me last year: I was invited nearly out of the blue to come study in France and I've been living here since September 2011. Since I've been here it's become gradually, increasingly clear to me that I most likely have a religious vocation. (I won't say "I do have a religious vocation" until I've made vows.)

 

There are many beautiful young communities that were founded and are based in France that are international, including in the United States. (The Community of St John, the Community of Bethlehem, the Community of Jerusalem, the Community of the Lamb, etc.) Personally, this is what I would love to do: join one of them, live in France a few more years, become fluent again in the language, benefit from the spiritual strength of the French Church, and ultimately end up back in the US (where I feel so, so, so strongly about being a witness and fighting for life and truth and freedom), and always have French sisters with whom I could speak French. (I don't mean that I think it would be "cool" to do: there are so many things I think would be "cool" to do, I couldn't fit them in a lifetime. What I mean is that this is something I deeply desire to do and believe I am called to do, and am moving in this direction.)

Edited February 5, 2013 by petitpèlerin

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

The sacrifice would be difficult for family, and some may not understand; but if that's what Our Lord is asking. Not that it wouldn't be painful for me either, but you have to go where He is asking. Where you can love Him best. All vocations require sacrifice, and some will be asked for more than others, but when He is asking from us then He has given us all the grace we need to say yes and give back to Him what He has given first. When it comes to entering the religious life when your going to give everything to Our Lord and be His alone then it certainly wouldn't seem right to hold back anything and count sacrifices and say, "I'll do this, but not that." It seems to be all or nothing. The sacrifices we make to enter the religious life we know is for the benefit of those we love also, even though in this life they may not see it, but in the next. :)

[Spem in alium]

When I was discerning more seriously last year, I was advised to narrow my interests to communities in my own country. I can see the sense in that at the beginning, but if I feel truly called by God to leave my home very little could stop me from doing that.

[BarbTherese]

Okay, as you probably all know by now it was a long time ago. And I only went across the Channel, from England to France.

....................edit...................

 

In answer to your question BarbaraT, I think it varies from community to community. If entering in a different country I would think it reasonable to make a visit ( live-in or otherwise) first, but it seems a bit excessive to expect aspirancy then to send you home again to another country only to return for the Postulancy.....that's not to say there may be communities who do expect that.

On the other hand there are communities who are happy to get to know someone by mail/email and to have them enter without having had either a visit or a live in first.

 

I thought as much.  Thank you for the confirmation. 

What happens re residency in another country if one does 'cross the pond' - is a temporary visa granted say for a few years before one applies for permanent residency if one decides that the community is indeed one's vocation?

[somethingfishy]

 What happens re residency in another country if one does 'cross the pond' - is a temporary visa granted say for a few years before one applies for permanent residency if one decides that the community is indeed one's vocation?

 

It will differ from country to country. Most English-speaking countries have at least one subcategory of visas for religious workers or "ministers of religion" as they're often called. Generally a person can't apply for permanent residency without having spent a relatively substantial number of years in that country on a valid visa/work permit, so a religious might well be preparing for final vows before they were eligible to apply for permanent residency.

 

If you are applying for a visa, read everything on the country's visa website carefully and make a checklist of absolutely every document required. Government websites are often very good at telling you precisely nothing -- and you don't want to screw things up by failing to submit a necessary form. I was lucky in that I'd previously applied for a visa and had been walked through the process, so applying in a different category was somewhat similar. However if you haven't done it before it's a lot to take in. The cost itself is something -- neither visas nor flights are cheap and I'd budget at least $1500 for the combined cost of those items.

 

Speaking of money, you do also have to think about your financial assets back in your home country. For example, obviously you don't want to close a bank account there -- but if you don't have regular access to it or to the internet, how do you monitor account activity? If someone steals your identity and makes fraudulent charges on an account, how will you know? If your financial assets are substantial it may be worth talking to an attorney.

 

It takes time and effort, there will be culture shock, you might not like the food, you and your sisters may have different cultural expectations of each other -- if it's where you're called it will be worth it in the end. Trust God and do what you can.

[BarbTherese]

It will differ from country to country. Most English-speaking countries have at least one subcategory of visas for religious workers or "ministers of religion" as they're often called. Generally a person can't apply for permanent residency without having spent a relatively substantial number of years in that country on a valid visa/work permit, so a religious might well be preparing for final vows before they were eligible to apply for permanent residency.

 

If you are applying for a visa, read everything on the country's visa website carefully and make a checklist of absolutely every document required. Government websites are often very good at telling you precisely nothing -- and you don't want to screw things up by failing to submit a necessary form. I was lucky in that I'd previously applied for a visa and had been walked through the process, so applying in a different category was somewhat similar. However if you haven't done it before it's a lot to take in. The cost itself is something -- neither visas nor flights are cheap and I'd budget at least $1500 for the combined cost of those items.

 

Speaking of money, you do also have to think about your financial assets back in your home country. For example, obviously you don't want to close a bank account there -- but if you don't have regular access to it or to the internet, how do you monitor account activity? If someone steals your identity and makes fraudulent charges on an account, how will you know? If your financial assets are substantial it may be worth talking to an attorney.

 

It takes time and effort, there will be culture shock, you might not like the food, you and your sisters may have different cultural expectations of each other -- if it's where you're called it will be worth it in the end. Trust God and do what you can.

 

Thank you very much for this valuable information if one should consider travelling overseas to enter a community.  With me, for example, in Australia, it would cost around $3000 alone to have the fare to either the USA or the UK (and return) and as well as that sufficient money for a visa whatever it may be (I know nothing about visas).  I think it would be wise to plan for a return trip, just in case things did not go as one hoped.  It is a lot of money depending on existing financial situation of course, but I do like your final sentence very much.

Religious communities here in Australia are reluctant to take mature vocations in women ("mature" considered as over 50, some communities far younger).  Mature males aspiring to the priesthood (diocesan) seem to be more successful, although I don't know what the situation may be in religious communities for men.

The problem that some communities do have is that their existing membership is already elderly and an additional mature age vocation may be a burden on an already struggling community.  Their reluctance therefore is entirely understandable and female religious vocations in Australia amongst the young are not flourishing.  If we did get younger women into communities, then their situation might change re mature vocations. There also seems to be reluctance in some Australian diocese to consider either consecration to the Order of Virgins or into eremitical life under Canon 603 - and of course these are entirely different vocations to a religious order vocation in community life and cannot be considered therefore as some sort of 'handy fallback' substitute because one cannot enter religious life for some reason.

Just at the moment almost too, we have a Royal Commission into clerical abuse in institutions (in which the Catholic Church is a major item on their agenda) about to commence and our Bishops are probably very much focused and occupied in this direction.  Vocations to Canon 603 and also Consecrated Virginity do ask the Bishop's focus and involvement.

Secular Institutes are also in a minority in South Australia and some do have expectations in applicants which would preclude mature age vocations.  Here in South Australia in order to enter a Third Order if one felt called, there is a reluctance towards 'distant formation' and all communities are in other states.  I also personally found a reluctance when investigating years ago due to Bipolar Disorder.

All these factors in Australia, to my way of thinking, needs to come under ever faithful and trustworthy Divine Providence and accepted in that light even though it may bring some suffering and The Cross.